Bless those Christmas Winds...

Blood Moon & a Jump Up - all a bit spooky in St Lucia

Our last night in Rodney Bay was celebrated toasting a spectacular rise of the Blood Moon and listening to the sizzling Caribbean vibes of the jump-up held every Friday night at Gros Islet.  Just far enough from our anchorage.  We had it all!  Wafts of BBQ (plenty of smoke & tantalizing aromas) all served up with a side of very loud soca & dancehall beats.  About 5.30-ish next morning, those still standing, go home.  So, having given St Lucia our best, it was time to point WJ3’s nose northwards towards Guadeloupe and the Windwards. 

We had especially good weather as we moved up the island chain but wondered if our luck would hold thereafter.  The easterlies met up out of Deshaies, on our first big crossing to Antigua.  We surfed into Falmouth Harbour and settled for an anchorage far from the madding crowd…  Falmouth is now kitted out for superyachts and elite racing; next door, English Harbour for charter boats (mostly catamarans now).  Facilities for simple cruisers are sparse.  Even our Cap’n (never the fashionista) remarked on the change!

HMS Diamond Rock, once dressed as a ship with sails and cannon

In 1804, Diamond Rock, Martinique, was dressed as a ship, manned by 20 English sailors with 4 cannon causing much damage to the French fleet.  It is said though, that the French easily evened the score and took the island back.  Simply by "wrecking" boats on shore laden with casks of rum. "Know your enemy!"

Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.  The busiest port in the Caribbean
& an early start for our daily "Shipping News" watch! 

A complete rainbow arc to mark our leaving Deep Bay,
Antigua for the 83 mile sail to St Bart's.

The easterlies remained and GS “pilled” up for the next long leg to St Bart's then on to St Martin.  All went well as we find ourselves in Simpson Bay Lagoon (on the Dutch side) yet again.  Close enough to regularly access takeaways from all nations – Indian curries, Korean spicy soups and French pastries.  Will we ever leave?

Not just yet.  It seems that huge sweeping systems called “Christmas Winds” are now regularly belting across vast swathes of the US, the Bahamas, Turks Caicos and northern Caribbean islands.  Doing their worst by removing our favourable Trades with winds from the north.  Better sit this out...  Pass round those chocolate croissants before they go stale then!!

Photos to follow...baby steps as we're learning the ropes now with Starlink and a brand spanking new (much larger) inverter to power it.  

Mixin' with the really big boys (lots of them) in Simpson Bay Lagoon.
No swell, just chop.  Lots of sleek go-fast boats & jet skis with
too much engine power (and not enough brain power).